This is my first private visit to Israel after completing my term as President of ARZA Australia but it has changed my view of many things there. When planning my trip I realised that I would be in Jerusalem for Rosh Chodesh. […]

The Western Wall was a scene of pandemonium and unprecedented violence on Wednesday morning, after Reform and Conservative Jewish leaders broke through security barriers with Torah scrolls in their arms, in defiance of the ultra-Orthodox authorities who run the holy site, in protest against Israel’s inaction on providing a promised egalitarian prayer space. […]

Israeli diplomatic missions in the United States are bracing for a campaign of protests by Conservative and Reform Jews ahead of the High Holy Days, over the non-implementation of a government decision to allocate space for pluralistic prayer services at the Western Wall. The cabinet decision, passed in January, has not been implemented due to pressure from ultra-Orthodox factions in the Knesset. Another contentious issue involves a law passed in July making it possible to bar Reform and Conservative Jews from using public ritual immersion baths for conversion. The Foreign Ministry is very concerned that increasing protests by the liberal [...]

Rosh HaShannah – the Jewish new year of 5777 is almost upon us. In households around the world, people will gather for time with family and festive meals. Unfortunately, for too many Israeli families, the holiday season is also a reminder of financial strain and socio-economic struggle. Close to two million Israelis live under the poverty line and struggle day in and day out with making ends meet. The holiday season, a time of hightened expenses, provides for a sore reminder of this reality. […]